Today, I logged into my yahoo mail and found a notification from ancestry that there was email there for me. I click and find this letter, written in italian. So, in my hit and miss italian, I was able to translate the first part and for what I couldnt understand, I stuck it into an online translator.

This person had the name of my grandfather, grandmother, father and aunt. They knew the year my grandfather came to the US and the year my grandmother and her children came. She also knew the year my father died. Apparently, her great grandmother was my grandfathers sister. (I did pretty well with the Italian up to that point..right? lol) The last time she heard from my family (which would be my aunt who is the only one left at 102 years old) was in 1981. There is not a doubt in my mind, that this person is related..geeze she even has my aunts name and we all know how that goes with the naming.

Here is the puzzle. How did she find me? I have no tree on ancestry. I am not aware of being on anyone elses tree on ancestry. You also have to be a member to even see a tree. This person just joined ancestry today.

I am not currently a paying member. I stuck the surname into a tree search and found no one with any of my names (first names of my grandparents, etc).

I saw a tree there of someone who can be related to me (not this person who contacted me). In order for me to get info, I would have to do what this person did to me today..click to send an ancestry mail. But, I have no tree there for this person to click on.

I already thought that maybe at one point, I listed my surnames in a post..but, I leave my email address when I do that.

I replied..in english..lol (I guess shes gonna have to figure it out, like I did with her italian). I am sure she will have no problem as I typed the names and added my grandmother (nonna), etc.

If it wasnt for the language barrier, the first thing I would have asked was..how did you find me.

Ancestry can be hard to decipher at times, I think, as far as users and such. I do know that searches are sometimes saved to user/member names, so perhaps searches you've conducted are somehow connected to your user name?

Hm, well, regardless of how it happened, it could be interesting to connect with this person. Maybe she will be able to connect you with more family.

Well, she wrote back to me in english. I think she is using the same translator that I did..and just copied what it said in english..because some of it is really out of whack..lol Of course, she wanted to know my name, which I forgot to add..and if I was a son or daughter to my father..which I didnt mention, either..lol So, I gave her all of my info, this morning...and now she wants pictures. I am sure she wants one of my grandfather..but, the only one that I have of him, isnt scanned. I am doing that today.

I really think she got me from putting the name in the members directory. It is the only surname there..I am guessing nobody else has that name in their profile. When I click that name, I get my profile, with the name being one that I am researching. That is the one and only way she could have found me there..because I have nothing else on ancestry...and, those names have been there since 2003.

The funny thing is that I have so much information on this branch of my family..and very little for my mothers side. I wish one of those relatives would do a search.

You would be surprised at some of the ways I have found people. Google searches. visiting forums. and reading obits. Never underestimate the power of the internet or of people. If they really want to find you they can, and will - regardless of how much we try to keep anonymous.

Funny..I didnt ask her how she found me, afterall. The member list on ancestry is the only thing there, that has my maiden name. We have been writing back and forth daily. I write in English..and I am sure she is using a translating site. Her emails come in that strange type english. Not the type, when you are speaking broken english..the translator type..lol

While all this is going on, I have been going back and forth in my other email address, with one of my best high school friends. She does genealogy also, so we were comparing stories and having some laughs. In these emails, I would tell her about my new found cousin. I said to her..geeze, some of this stuff from the translator is so screwy that I cant make heads nor tails out of it. She replied, right now, in Italy, she is emailing her friend, telling her how your emails make no sense..lolol

I sent this bunch of pix to her. I cant believe she said she has a wedding pix of my parents given to her by her grandmother. My parents were married in the 30s. This must have been one tight family, for them to pass this photo down..and recall who it is. Or, my grandfather was a bit of a celebrity, since he is the only one of them that came to this country.

Anyway..I think she is 34 years old..or something is 34..lol She seems very sweet.

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